Red Crow’s beers are named after women. Isabelle is a Belgian blonde, Frances is a pale ale, Louise is an IPA and Elaine is a rye porter. Red Crow Brewing Co. |

Five things to know about Olathe’s new craft brewery

Red Crow’s Spring Hill location was known for its huge patio complete with fire pits. The owners plan to replicate that outdoorsy vibe by adding greenspace and a covered patio to the larger new location in south Olathe. Red Crow Brewing Co. |

Jan 17, 2018 at 2:13 PMBy Sarah Gish sgish@kcstar.com

Here’s a bit of good news for craft beer fans in Johnson County: Red Crow Brewing Co. is moving to Olathe from Spring Hill.

The 2-year-old brewery has outgrown its space at 20561 S. Lone Elm Road and is expanding into a former Outback Steakhouse at 15430 S. Rogers Road in Olathe. Co-owner Mistie Roberts says the goal is to reopen in late spring.

Here are five things you should know about Red Crow:

1. It was started by a home brewer. Chris Roberts turned his hobby into a family business when he teamed up with wife Mistie and her parents, Joe and Loretta Fisher, to open Red Crow. The brewery is known for beers named after women — the best-seller is Isabelle, a Belgian blonde known for converting Bud drinkers to the craft side.

2. Red Crow is closed until the new location opens. But you can still get the beer on tap at more than a dozen restaurants and bars in Johnson County, including Rye in Leawood, Burg & Barrel in Overland Park and Old Shawnee Pizza in Shawnee and Lenexa. Red Crow can expand distribution in its new, bigger location, adding two 15-barrel fermenters and three 15-barrel brite tanks, which are used for storing and serving beer.

3. The new taproom will be twice as big and it will have a private room for rent and a pet-friendly patio.

“We’re taking the southeast side of the parking lot and turning it into outdoor space,” Mistie Roberts says. “We want to keep the comfortable outdoor atmosphere.”

4. Red Crow Brewing Co. is family-friendly. The new taproom will have TVs and board games, and Roberts says the patio will be big enough for “kids to run around without bumping into people.”

5. There won’t be a kitchen — but there will be food trucks. Expect a rotating lineup, everything from ribs to fried pickles, wings, tacos and pizza.